Director Rian Johnson poses for a portrait while promoting the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ in Los Angeles December 3, 2017. — Reuters picLOS ANGELES, Dec 7 — As Star Wars fans gear up for The Last Jedi, the anticipated next instalment in the Skywalker series, its star and writer-director shed some light on how the franchise was mapping a future beyond the beloved characters.

Rian Johnson, writer-director of The Last Jedi, will be overseeing a new trilogy of Star Wars films that will explore far-away corners of the galaxy, Walt Disney Co said in November.

From left: Cast members Mark Hamill, Adam Driver and producer Kathleen Kennedy attend a promotional event of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

Director Rian Johnson and ‘Star Wars’ character C-3PO attend a promotional event of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

Cast member of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Mark Hamill hugs Star Wars character R2-D2 at its promotional event in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

A fan dressed as Star Wars character Captain Phasma takes picture during a promotional event of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

Cast member of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Mark Hamill and his daughter Chelsea attend its promotional event in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

Director Rian Johnson attends a promotional event of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

Cast members Mark Hamill and Adam Driver attend a promotional event of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

Cast member of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Adam Driver attends its promotional event in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

Cast member of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Mark Hamill, signs autographs for fans at a promotional event in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

Cast member of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Mark Hamill gestures while staff guide him to a photo position at its promotional event in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

From left: Director Rian Johnson, cast members Mark Hamill and Adam Driver, along with producer Kathleen Kennedy attend a promotional event of the movie ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ in Tokyo December 7, 2017. — Reuters pic

“I’m just in the very beginning phases of coming up with it so right now the sky is kind of the limit,” Johnson said while promoting The Last Jedi last week.

“The appeal of it to me is to do a new story told over three movies, to have that kind of canvas, to be in the Star Wars world and to have the feel of a Star Wars film,” he said.

The new stories will not follow the Skywalker saga, which George Lucas kicked off with 1977’s Episode IV: A New Hope.

Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012 for US$4 billion (RM16.3 billion), and rebooted the Star Wars franchise with the Skywalker trilogy and standalone films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Johnson’s The Last Jedi picks up the Skywalker story after 2015’s blockbuster The Force Awakens, in which a new generation of characters was introduced with returning favourites Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Fisher died last year. — Reuters